Doubts
by Abicion
Summary: Some stupid Akane thing where nothing of consequence happens.
1. Chapter 1

Mikoto's black sword flew out of her hands and into the night air after she ran into a surprisingly powerful tonfa strike.

"I won't let you hurt Kazu!"

Akane's normally soft voice shouted in a rageful tone as she stood in front of the nervous boy accompanying her and desperately repelled Mikoto's ambush. Mikoto sprinted to where her abandoned blade had landed in Fuuka Academy's courtyard, then shouted back to her enemy.

"He HAS to die, Akane! If I don't defeat you, you'll be a threat to my brother!"

Mikoto clenched her teeth as she lifted Miroku back into her hands and dashed toward her target at blinding speed. Akane quickly responded by dodging to the side and swinging one of her decorative metal tonfa lowly to the ground to strike it across Mikoto's shuffling knees. Akane's attacker cried out in pain as she dropped her blade and roughly crashed into the ground.

Akane pounced on her vulnerable opponent and straddled over Mikoto as she groggily lay on her back on the paved walkway. Mikoto spent her final moments looking up in horror as Akane lifted her blunt weapons to deliver a finishing attack in pure impulse. Without hesitating, Akane killed Mikoto with a single thunderous blow to the temple, and then continued to use her tonfa to deliver several alternating strikes that reduced Mikoto's motionless head to a red pulp.

When the battle was over, Akane continued to kneel on the ground and panted from exhaustion as Mikoto's corpse and weapon disappeared into a swarm of glowing green particles. When Akane finally caught her breath, she briefly meditated and caused her own weapons to safely disappear so they could be summoned later. She then looked down to see her hands were still soaked with Mikoto's blood from her gruesome attack, and her peaceful silence was interrupted when her light brown eyes suddenly widened with shock and she let out a shrill scream that filled the night air.

When Akane quieted again, she was trembling in anxiety and thought out loud as the realization of what she had done to win the HiME battle came to her.

"I-... I killed someone! I can't take it back!"

As Akane continued to shiver in fear, her voice gradually became more relaxed.

"I can't... take... it... back..."

Her eyes closed as a bright smile appeared on her face.

"But... Kazu's safe..."

Kazuya watched in sympathy as Akane silently came to peace with her actions. This was followed by Akane briefly giggling in a calm, innocent tone. She slowly rose back to her feet and closed her eyes to meditate again, causing the air around her to turn into a warm breeze that dried her dripping hands. After Akane had fully collected herself, she quietly approached where Kazuya was standing. She gently leaned against his shoulder before speaking in her usual cheerful voice.

"Kazu, I've made up my mind. I'm going to defeat the other HiME so we won't have to worry about being separated anymore."

Akane raised her head, and her eyes looked into Kazuya's with playful energy.

"Mikoto gave me an idea. I'm going to focus on killing the HiME themselves instead of their Childs. That way they'll die with the people they care about the most, and they won't be separated, either."

She happily tilted her head to the side before speaking again.

"Okay?"

Kazuya gasped in shock at Akane's words. He was taken by a sense of dread as he realized Akane was acting like her usual self, but her words conveyed nothing but utter madness.

"Akane, you're talking about murder..."

The joy in Akane's face quickly faded and turned to a look of concern and desperation at the boy's words.

"I'm talking about survival, Kazu! If I don't stop them, the other HiME will come for me and Hari, and you... you'll die!"

Kazuya responded in a soft tone as he hugged his trembling lover and brushed his hand over her head to calm her.

"Akane, you're still excited from Mikoto attacking us. Just relax. We'll be fine."

The desperation in Akane's voice faded slightly, but her decision and new rationale still stood.

"I can't take that chance anymore, Kazu."

She rested her head against Kazuya's chest as she began to lightly sob.

"I don't think I'd be able to go on without you..."

Kazuya felt the girl's soft hands tightly grasp his shoulders as she continued speaking in a worried voice.

"...But your happiness is more important to me, and I would never try to control your life for myself. If the fact I need to fight the other HiME disgusts you that much, I would only be hurting you."

Akane's damp eyes gazed up toward Kazuya with growing paranoia. In her mind, failing to take the initiative now would be surrendering her love to certain death.

"If you're afraid of living with the guilt of what I have to do, and you would rather have me give up, then I... understand..."

Akane's desperation returned in full force as she pleaded.

"But please reconsider, Kazu!"

Kazuya now knew Akane's anxiety wasn't going to leave easily. He thought back to the day many months ago Akane had privately revealed she was a HiME to him. She had nearly fallen into despair when she thought he would be repulsed by the sight of the monstrous guardian she could summon, but she was calmed by Kazuya's warm acceptance. This predicament was similar in many ways, despite the stakes now being much higher.

Kazuya was also aware that Akane's affection made him a part of the secret HiME festival no matter what he did. Fate had left him only with the options of painfully abandoning Akane for something she had no control over to distance himself from the ceremony's atrocities, or returning his HiME's admiration and sharing her sins. He could see Akane's sanity had already suffered greatly from the stress of the festival, and turning her away now would only bring her more injury.

The young man sighed deeply as he considered the facts before him. After a long pause, he placed his fingers under Akane's chin and slowly lifted her head toward his before offering a loving smile. He put Akane's worries to rest by speaking in gentle assurance.

"Okay, Akane. Whatever you have to do, I'll stay by your side."

Akane's face brightened with renewed glee at her lover's words. Her still watery eyes began to sparkle with warmth as hopeful energy flowed in her voice.

"Do you really mean it, Kazu... ?"

In response, Kazuya lowered his head to Akane's and slowly brought his lips to hers. The couple closed their eyes as they shared a lengthy kiss in Fuuka Academy's courtyard.

* * *

In the caverns below Fuuka Academy, a silver-haired boy stood with his arms crossed as he watched Akane and Kazuya embrace through a collection of hanging video screens. Beside him was a ceremonial throne that was occupied only by a few sparkling green particles that quickly disappeared from sight. The boy grinned mischievously as he spoke in a cocky voice.

"I guess this messes things up a bit, doesn't it, Boss? I don't suppose you were planning on ever losing your physical body, especially only in the opening round."

After a brief pause, a single deep voice boomed from all sides of the cave in response to the boy's observations.

"Yes, Nagi, but it's not a vain loss. Even though she's only trained against two Orphans, Akane has surpassed all of my expectations. She's actually broken the pathetic trend Harimau users usually have."

Nagi chuckled softly before speaking again.

"Oh, you're calling her by her first name, now? You must be impressed."

The scheming subordinate stroked his chin in thought.

"Should I recruit her as your new enforcer, my Lord? Now that Mikoto's gone, it's going to be hard for us to constantly guard Mai."

The dark ethereal voice let out a low laugh that vibrated through the cavern before responding.

"No, Nagi. It would be better to let Akane's own devotion to Kurauchi grow. I may have to make use of that man."

The invisible being occupying the room with Nagi looked into the main video screen with great anticipation. His voice spoke a final time.

"Now that the cat's out of the bag, there are two candidates. Mai's survival is no longer a total necessity."


	2. Chapter 2

"It's almost over, Kazu..."

Akane's feet lightly pushed against the ground as she snuggled closer to Kazuya's shoulder from her seated position.

"Now that I've gotten rid of Shizuru and Miss Sanada, there's almost no one left to take you away."

Kazuya was seated against the trunk of a tree, surrounded on all sides by thick brush. Akane rested against him, and he didn't mind being her pillow. The couple was still in their Fuuka school uniforms, and Hari sat a few feet away like a sphinx, carefully monitoring the night air for anything that didn't sound like the chirping of crickets or the natural rustling of leaves. This was how the trio had spent the previous few nights, as staying at home at night, where the remaining HiME could easily hunt them, had become increasingly dangerous.

"I'm glad it will be over soon, Akane."

Kazuya gave his lover a warm smile as he quietly replied. At the same time, Akane reached to the back of her head and carefully removed the knot from her ponytail. Her brown hair fell into a short bob cut as she looked toward Kazuya again and quietly spoke.

"I love you, Kazu."

The boy responded by leaning forward and pulling her into a brief kiss. When the two ended their embrace, Akane tiredly rested her head against Kazuya's chest. A content smile remained on her face as her eyes closed and she drifted to sleep.

Kazuya was amazed that Akane was still able to act this way. Each time she crossed paths with another HiME, she fought with a wicked, almost primal brutality, and killed without remorse to protect him. However, when she was alone with him and out of harm's way, she was the same soft, playful, loving girl he had fallen in love with before this nightmare started. His life was the last thread of humanity she still clung to, and losing him at this stage would send her quickly spiraling into unfathomable despair and insanity.

Kazuya shook his head of his tragic thoughts and pressed his back against the thick tree trunk behind him. He began to doze off himself, and he could feel his heavy eyelids slowly fall.

"Kazuya..."

His eyes fluttered back open in full alert upon hearing a deep voice speak his name from seemingly inside of his ears. He scanned the forest walls around him, noticing nothing out of the ordinary and seeing Akane's Child hadn't reacted at all to what he heard. He blamed the matter on his imagination, and closed his eyes once again.

"Kazuya Kurauchi..."

He opened his eyes again, now knowing he couldn't have been hallucinating and feeling somewhat annoyed this time.

"Who... who's there?"

Kazuya scanned the forest again before the voice responded.

"Don't be so worrisome, Kazuya. I have chosen you, and you're the only one who can hear me."

He sighed and shook his head as the voice continued.

"I am called Obsidian Lord by the people of your world. I am the being responsible for the HiME Festival, and I am the source of the power your woman uses."

Kazuya peered down to Akane's peaceful form. He felt a small surge of anger grow in his gut as he questioned the voice.

"You're the one who's been making Akane do all these horrible things?"

"Please mind your temper, Kazuya. The HiME Festival is a process that ensures the prosperity of this land. Your HiME has only been performing her duty by fighting the other girls. She's done quite beautifully, I might add, since she's brought me TWO sacrifices each time she's defeated another HiME."

The voice paused for a moment as if in consideration before continuing.

"Besides, you can't put all of the guilt on me. I was watching you when you instructed your HiME to become a murderer."

Kazuya's face suddenly contorted at these words, as if he was wincing in pain. The being speaking to him was right, and there was no way he could go back at this point, not with Akane so dependent on his existence and her mind in such a fragile form.

"I only did it so she would be happy..."

The voice now spoke to him in a caring tone.

"I know, Kazuya. It's that level of passion you hold for your HiME that makes you the perfect vessel for me. Let me enter your mind."

Kazuya looked upward with a puzzled expression.

"What the Hell does that mean?"

"Nagi hasn't explained these things to you yet? Very well."

Kazuya remained silent as the voice explained everything to him.

"The HiME who wins the Festival is expected to become my wife and use her power to lead the world with me. I require a physical body of my own for this to come about, and you are currently the best candidate. If you become my host, I can lend my power directly to Akane and ensure her victory. I can guide her to the remaining HiME, and this whole ordeal will be over with rather quickly."

Kazuya looked down toward Akane as she slept before he responded.

"What's the alternative?"

"I will have to select another vessel out of the few that remain and support their own HiME. Unfortunately, Akane will ultimately lose, and she'll spend the rest of her life alone after you disappear in the same manner of all of the other defeated HiME's dearest. She will have no hope against a HiME endorsed by my power."

One of Kazuya's hands clenched into a fist at these words. Any fear he had of his own death was eclipsed by the concern he held for Akane's well-being.

"Damn you..."

"Kazuya, please, I'm only answering your question. I truly wish to see Akane win more than any other HiME, but the choice depends on you."

The boy sighed as he gradually came to the conclusion that he only had one option if he wanted to protect the one he loved.

"I get the point. But what will happen to Akane if I go through with this? If you do anything to hurt her..."

The voice became noticeably warmer in nature when it interrupted his statement.

"Don't worry. To her, you and I will be the same person. I would never harm her in any way, nor do anything that would interfere with her love for you. The prosperity of the world depends on her remaining loyal to you, and I know she would never be at odds with my wishes since she has already shed her moral restraints to fight for you."

Kazuya briefly looked downward in thought before responding.

"And what will happen to me?"

"Again, that shall be dependent on you, Kazuya. You will remain in this body with me, but, if you bring yourself to disagree with how I wish to lead this world, you'll constantly find yourself tortured by regret and having no control over your actions. However, if you allow me to fully enter your soul and never object to my will, it will feel as if you're acting under your own impulses, and you'll soon forget you ever had any contact with me. If you don't resist me, my power will keep you together with Akane for eternity."

Kazuya's doubts were put to rest when he felt Akane gently tuck her head under his chin amidst a pleasant dream she was having. He spoke with an air of defeat in his voice.

"I'd give up anything to keep her safe."

The voice seemed quite pleased by Kazuya's resolve.

"As I suspected. Now, if you would kindly volunteer to be my host, just relax for a few moments so I may awaken in you."

Kazuya paused for a moment before slowly nodding. He leaned forward to give Akane's forehead a light kiss, then rested back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, they opened again. His blue irises now featured a noticeably darker hue, and a coy smirk crossed his lips.

Kazuya looked down toward the delicate weapon in his arms with warm admiration. He had great plans for Akane, but knew she had to be well-rested before he could discuss them. He was then taken by slight surprise when she began to stir, and a few seconds later she was staring up at him with sleepy brown eyes.

"Oh... Kazu, you're still up?"

Kazuya nodded.

"I was just thinking about how we should deal with the rest of the HiME, Akane. I think I've come up with something. I'll tell you in the morning."

The brunette raised one hand to Kazuya's face and gently brushed his cheek when he finished speaking.

"Are you okay, Kazu? Your eyes look a little different..."

He showed no surprise at Akane's questioning, and simply quelled her concerns in a gentle tone.

"I'm fine, Akane. What makes you say that?"

Akane seemed to ponder to herself for a minute before shaking her head and ceasing her investigation. She then giggled quietly as her expression changed to a weak but playful grin.

"You were guarding me, weren't you?"

Kazuya's new persona seemed to be amused by Akane's question. It wasn't too from the truth, considering the lengths his host had went to protect her. In a way, he even respected it.

"You could say that."

Akane grew all the more cheerful as she closed her eyes and softened her voice.

"Don't worry so much, Kazu. Hari will warn me if anyone finds us here. Get some sleep."

Kazuya replied with a confident tone.

"Alright, Akane."

He gave a loving smile and gently guided her head back to his chest. He then closed his eyes, allowing the couple to fall into a blissful sleep for the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

The two halves of Fumi's broken scythe clattered on the paved ground as the pink-haired handmaid gasped in pain. She briefly looked into the crazed brown eyes of her opponent as she groaned from the grotesque bladed tonfa impaling her abdomen. She then spent her final breaths peering over her attacker's shoulder to see the victor's Child, an enormous tiger with obsidian armor and demonic red eyes, held what looked like a limp, silver-haired mannequin in its foaming mouth. Tears began to swell in Fumi's eyes and the white apron of her maid uniform became increasingly stained with red as she weakly spoke.

"I'm sorry, my lady..."

The single blood-soaked tonfa was removed from Fumi's stomach, allowing her to fall to the ground at the same time the tiger dropped its lifeless prey. The two bodies then dissolved into sparkling green dust and floated into the air. These remains didn't have far to travel, as the HiME Star now sat as a gigantic crimson sphere atop the rubble that had been Fuuka Academy a few days earlier.

As the battlefield cleared, Akane gradually caught her breath and willed Hari and her weapons to return to stasis. She was clad in a short dress made of a material resembling black satin, which Kazuya had recently gifted her. It closely resembled the design of her Fuuka Academy summer uniform and sported a silver trim. Her familiar ponytail was tied back with a small but elegant black ribbon, and about her neck was a choker studded by a single silver jewel.

Akane's angered, desperate expression quickly transitioned to one of cheerful innocence when her eyes met her handsome lover. He was standing several meters away with his arms crossed and a satisfied grin on his face, and Akane ran to him and hugged him before she began to question him.

"Kazu! Are you okay? You weren't hurt by Fumi or Mashiro, were you?"

A tender smile crossed the young man's lips as he returned his HiME's embrace and brought her closer to him.

"I'm fine, Akane. You stopped them."

Akane's eyes peered toward the HiME Star before turning back to Kazuya. The victorious HiME rested her head on her beloved's shoulder as she spoke in a soft, happy voice. Finally, the other girls were gone and she would never again have to worry about losing the person she cherished the most.

"It's over, Kazu."

Kazuya reached to the back of Akane's head with one hand and slowly ran his fingers through her hair as he replied.

"Almost, Akane. You've won the Festival, but you have one more task to complete."

The devoted HiME lifted her head and replied with an air of curiosity.

"Hmm? What are you talking about, Kazu?"

Kazuya continued to give her the same warm smile as his free hand slowly reached and held one of her hands. He spoke in an even gentler voice than before.

"Let's end this world's suffering."

Akane was taken by uncertainty at Kazuya's statement. She tilted her head slightly when she questioned him again.

"What do you mean?"

He glanced toward the stationary HiME Star before presenting his plan.

"There is still far too much cruelty in this world. As long as hatred and conflict exist, people will continue to experience the loss of their loved ones, just as you almost lost me. Although the HiME have been dealt with, war still exists and murder still occurs. Even now, there's no guarantee that humanity won't bring a disaster that could split us apart, Akane."

Akane grew visibly concerned by his words, and she replied with a slight worry in her voice.

"What can we do to change it?"

When Kazuya's gaze returned to Akane, he could see she was reacting to his words just as he expected. He couldn't be more pleased with her responses.

"Now that you're the only HiME, nothing can stop you from using the star's full power. Your emotions of love will allow it to purify the world of its corruption. You can make it so no one will have to suffer again and nothing can separate us."

The worry in Akane's face faded and was replaced by a caring smile as Kazuya spoke. She gave an energetic nod before replying.

"Okay, Kazu. I'll do whatever I need to."

Kazuya now lowered his head and brought his lips to Akane's. As the two remained in a deep, peaceful kiss, the HiME birthmark located behind Akane's left shoulder began to glow with a bright red light that shown through the back of her sleeveless dress. This glow gradually engulfed her entire curved frame, and the HiME Star soon began pulsating in the same brilliant light as it loomed over her. The ribbon in Akane's ponytail unraveled and fell to the ground, and her short brown hair and silky black miniskirt billowed outward as her body began unleashing its accumulated energy.

Suddenly, an enormous storm of sparkling wind formed around Akane and covered the land around Fuuka Academy almost instantly. The swirling wind was so harsh that it eroded all living matter to dust and left every building it passed over in rubble. It continued to spread in all directions and left the same path of destruction across the planet. When it reached the oceans, it created catastrophic tidal waves that swept over whole continents and washed away most signs of modern life. For a few seconds, the red glow that traveled with the wind illuminated the entire world and made it seem as if the Earth itself had become a planet-sized HiME Star. When the light finally faded and the storm subsided, the world was left in an alien silence.

Akane initially continued to act the same as before when she happily parted from the kiss. However, realization quickly began dawning to her. She frantically turned her head from side to side, causing her hair to bob as she studied the ruinous landscape around her and saw the HiME Star still situated on the ground beside her.

"Did I... do this?"

She stepped backwards from Kazuya, raising her hands to the sides of her head as her eyes widened with horror.

"I did it! I killed everyone! I... I..."

Kazuya clenched his eyes shut and turned his head away as he was overtaken by regret at this sight. The strange force of nature that influenced his words and actions had numbed most of his original compassion, but one thing had been left perfectly intact: His ability to care for Akane. And now, as she was about to lose what little remained of her sanity, he couldn't bear to watch her suffer.

"Akane, I'm sorry..."

Not knowing what to do, he was taken by surprise when he heard a deep, familiar voice rumble through his head.

"Comfort your wife, Kazuya. You've always been the only one who can support her."

Acting on this advice, Kazuya stepped forward and firmly brought Akane back into his arms. He held her closely to his chest and spoke into her shivering ear to soothe her.

"It will be okay, Akane. You didn't do it by yourself."

His voice then hushed to a whisper as he gently lowered her arms and guided them around his waist. He spoke in a pleading tone as his concern for the terrified girl grew.

"It's not your fault. You only did it for me."

At the exact moment Akane's mind would have completely shattered from the trauma of what she had just done, she suddenly felt the only thing that could pacify her. It was the one thing she had literally given the world to protect. With her ear pressed against Kazuya's chest, she could feel his heartbeat.

"Ka... zu..."

Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief when Akane quietly spoke and he could feel her trembling subsiding. He continued to assure her.

"Don't worry, Akane. You've ended the world's sadness. You'll never have to use your powers to kill again."

Akane finally lifted her head and looked into Kazuya's eyes. She offered a drowsy smile as she spoke.

"It's... over?"

Kazuya nodded as he returned Akane's cheerful glance.

"It's over, Akane. You did great."

Akane lowered her head again and rested it against Kazuya's shoulder. She quickly found her eyes struggling to stay open, and Kazuya could feel her placing most of her weight against him.

"I'm so tired, Kazu..."

He replied in the same assuring tone as before. The words he spoke were a mix of his own thoughts and those of the entity sharing his body.

"You'll be fine, Akane. Your body just used the HiME Star's power to its fullest capacity. You'll feel better after some rest, and you'll regain your power when you couple with me."

Even in her exhausted state, Akane couldn't help but blush slightly at the thought of finally being able to become intimate with her dearest. She replied as she slowly drifted into the verge of sleep.

"Mmm... what will we do then, Kazu?"

Kazuya's expression became bright with anticipation due to Akane's question.

"When you're ready, we'll use your power to slowly rebuild this world. With control of the HiME Star, you'll be able to repopulate the planet with new life forms in the same way you're able to summon Hari. Our children will be the new human race, and their domain will be the land we create."

He paused in his thoughts and his anticipation faded slightly when he noticed tears were streaming down Akane's cheeks and dripping to the ground. He questioned her in a concerned tone.

"Akane, what's wrong? Do you miss the old world?"

She kept to herself as she quietly replied.

"That's not it at all, Kazu..."

When she raised her head, Kazuya could see a bright smile had grown on her face and she was shedding tears of joy.

"I'm just happy we're finally together."

Kazuya nodded slowly and smiled in return.

"Of course, Akane. And now we'll remain together..."

He spoke softly as he leaned forward.

"...forever."

He sealed his lips to Akane's once more, and the delighted girl was quick to return his kiss. Amidst the Earth's ruined state, the only figures that still stood were Akane and Kazuya in this embrace.


End file.
